Till Death Do Us Part
by Cassandra Rose Potter
Summary: Bonnie Ward never knew she was a witch. For eleven years she was told that she was normal. But now that she knows the truth, Bonnie will be going to Hogwarts, where she will learn magic and face the dangers her parents tried so hard to keep her safe from. First year; rated T to be safe.
1. The Discovery

Till Death Do Us Part

Chapter 1 / The Discovery

Bonnie Ward hesitated on the path. She was nervous. The address was unfamiliar, and she knew she really shouldn't have acknowledged it, yet she had followed the directions and now stood outside a grim building. She still had the letter in her bag, for reference, in case they weren't expecting her. Or maybe it was all a joke. She began to move backwards, but stopped herself. She needed to do this, there must've been a reason why she got the letter.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Bonnie moved towards the inky black door, gently lifting the silver knocker. It landed with a heavy thud. Bonnie held her breath. The door opened to reveal an old, frail man dressed in dark robes with slanted eyes and a slight frown.

"Yes?" he asked. His voice was deep and raspy.

"I'm Bonnie," muttered Bonnie, wringing her hands. "Bonnie Ward."

The man smiled slightly. "Ah, yes. We've been expecting you. Please, come in." He ushered her in, and Bonnie found herself staring in awe at the delicate interior of the mansion. She followed the man up a steep, ebony staircase that was very dimly lit. Eventually they opened a door to reveal a heavy-set woman in an elegant dress reclining on a leather armchair. The man sat beside her and gestured for Bonnie to take the chair across from them.

"Bonnie Ward," the woman said. She smiled. "My name is Doreen Whitehorn. This is my husband, Terrence. We've been waiting for your arrival."

Bonnie frowned. "Um, thank you, miss. But I wanted to know, how do you know me?"

"First of all, call me Doreen," insisted Doreen. "And, to answer your question, we happen to be close to your parents, Leo and Heather Ward. And so, after many years, we heard about you and thought it would be lovely to meet up with you."

"Alright," said Bonnie slowly, still unnerved. "But how come my parents don't know I'm here? The letter insisted that I was not to tell them."

"Oh, that." Doreen pursed her lips and exchanged a look with Terrence, who shrugged. "You see, they have a slight, well, _grudge_ against us for something that happened a long time ago."

"Oh," whispered Bonnie. She gripped her seat. "So they don't want me here."

"That's partly the case," admitted Terrence. "But, Bonnie, you must understand that we never hurt your parents. We wouldn't dream of it. But there was an argument and it never quite got...resolved."

"Enough of that," interjected Doreen. She handed Bonnie a cup of steaming hot liquid. "Here, try this. Don't worry, dear, it's just warm Butterbeer." Seeing the look of confusion on Bonnie's face, Doreen became still. "Surely you know what that is, don't you?"

Bonnie shook her head. "No, mi—Doreen. I'm sorry." She sipped the liquid, feeling the warmth of it soothe her throat and fill her with a glowing feeling.

"Doreen, a word, please," said Terrence heavily. Doreen nodded, smiled at Bonnie, and they both left the room, shutting the door behind them. Bonnie bit her lip. Why did these people leave her just because she said she'd never tried a drink before? Did it mean something?

Whilst Doreen and Terrence were out, Bonnie took to exploring the room, careful not to make any noise. The walls, now she looked, were painted charcoal gray, paintings of snobby-looking people in fancy attire staring out from golden frames. The room was in fact rather bare, but at the far end was a dresser. Bonnie hesitantly made her way forward, opening the top drawer. It was filled with what appeared to be torn newspaper articles. But what really shocked Bonnie, was that the pictures appeared to be moving. On one, there was a cloaked figure, hand pointing up, amidst a pile of dead bodies. He began to turn, and Bonnie hurriedly closed the drawer, her heart pounding.

She began to hear footsteps so she raced to her seat, breathlessly sipping her drink.

"Sorry we took so long," announced Doreen, entering the room with her husband trailing behind.

"It's no trouble at all," chirped Bonnie, smiling at them.

Doreen sat herself down. "We have something we'd like to talk to you about." Bonnie's palms began sweating; did they know she was snooping? Doreen continued, "You seemed very surprised by Butterbeer, yet it is a common wizard drink."

Wizard? What was she talking about? "Wizards aren't real," said Bonnie calmly.

"Oh but they very much are," insisted Terrence, a slight twinkle in his eye. "And surely you must know this, since you know, your parents are magical and all."

"What?" Bonnie was sure this was some sort of trick. Her parents, magical? She was normal, completely normal, so were her parents. Wizards just weren't real. Bonnie set her drink down.

"Now wait a moment," said Doreen, standing up. "Honey, you're a witch. So is your mother. Why are you acting so surprised by this news?"

"Because it's not true," retorted Bonnie hotly. She stood as well. "I don't who you are, but clearly this is wrong, so I'm leaving now. You're just strangers. And you're lying to me."

"We're not lying, Bonnie," said Terrence, but it was no use, for Bonnie left the room, her feet pounding on the stairs. Her palms sweated, her heart pounded, her stomach churned. This was wrong, a lie of some sorts. Why had she come? Obviously they were two crazy old people who wanted her for some reason, probably something sick and twisted.

Bonnie was scared. She was only eleven, she didn't know how to deal with something like this. She wasn't mature enough to fully comprehend what was happening, but she felt an instinct of fear and she followed it because it was all she had. After quite some time of running and weaving through streets, roads and woods, Bonnie came to her house. She climbed up the ivy that crept up the house and crawled through her window. She fell onto her bed, panting and shaking.

The house had given her chills, so she was unsure as to why she'd told herself it would be fine. She should never have entered. No, she should never have gone to it. She should have just ignored the letter and thrown it away. But it was too late. What had happened, had happened, so Bonnie curled up and rocked herself to sleep.

OoOoO

It was a sunny morning and Bonnie yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she slipped her feet into her slippers. Slowly she made her way downstairs, greeting her parents who were both seated at the dinner table, breakfast already laid out. Her dad, Lucian, was reading a newspaper.

"Good morning, darling," said her mum, Elaine, smiling and placing a bowl of porridge on the table. "I hope you slept well. We've got a busy day today, we're planning on going to visit Stephen."

"Okay, mum," answered Bonnie, digging into her breakfast. Her mum smiled and continued with unloading the dishwasher. The silence felt calm and peaceful, yet Bonnie noticed something. There was a feeling in the air, a feeling like something was being held back. Controlled, even.

Suddenly Bonnie was reminded of the previous night. Doreen and Terrence. Wizards, witches, _magic_. Suddenly the young girl felt a need to bring up the issue with her parents. But it was nonsense, surely. Wizards and witches weren't real. Perhaps it had all just been a dream.

Later that day, on the way to the hospital, Bonnie began to feel a strange feeling. She'd never payed much attention to the discussions her parents had, or what they did, but she noticed they were passing one another worried or nervous glances. Perhaps Bonnie was paranoid, or perhaps her parents were, indeed, hiding something from her.

The car ride felt long and tense. When they finally arrived at the hospital, Bonnie took her usual seat on the right side of Stephen. He was so still, so calm. He had nothing to worry about. He was four years older than Bonnie, yet he looked so very childlike and innocent lying there on the bright white sheets. The machines beeped, constantly, _beep beep beep_.

"I bought some flowers," said Elaine, placing them on the bedside table. She had turned rather somber in the last few minutes. "Here, Stephen, my darling."

"Mum, what exactly happened?" asked Bonnie quietly. The silence dragged on for a bit.

"Bonnie," sighed Lucian, "sweetie, we've been over this. He went out with some friends, they went to the woods, and he fell. We're lucky he's not dead."

Bonnie was tempted to voice her thoughts, _but isn't this worse? Not knowing? Never knowing if he'll die suddenly or if he'll get up, right as rain? Isn't living in constant ignorance worse than just knowing the, admittedly harsh, truth?_

"Time's up," grumbled a burly nurse, ushering the Wards out. Bonnie still felt that odd feeling, like a big shadow hovering above her, threatening a downpour but never spilling a drop.

"Bonnie, dear, is everything okay?" asked Elaine gently, pulling her daughter into the kitchen as Lucian continued upstairs to his office. The light was on, illuminating the cosy space.

Bonnie hesitated. "Mum, I need to ask you something." She gulped. "You see, I got a letter from some people, Doreen and Terrence Whitehorn." Something flickered on Elaine's face, but it was gone before Bonnie could figure out what it had been.

"Anyway," continued Bonnie, "so I decided to go, just to see what would happen and they gave me a drink, and it was nice, but strange. It had a weird name, too. Then they seemed to think I was a witch! They said you were too, and that's when I left, because I was sure it was a trick."

There was a moment of silence. Elaine said nothing, her expression stern, her keen green eyes intent on her daughter's face.

Bonnie coughed. "So do you know what's going on? Are they lying?"

"No," murmured Elaine. Bonnie thought she must've heard incorrectly.

"No?" echoed the girl.

"No," said Elaine. She sat down. "No, they weren't lying. You are a witch. So am I. Your father is a wizard."

Bonnie blinked once, twice. She shook her head.

"It's true," said Elaine, fiddling with her skirt. She was trembling. "I'm so sorry we didn't tell you sooner. It's just...we wanted to live a normal life. In the magical world there's just too much danger. We wanted you to be safe, to be normal, to live a life that wouldn't be filled with fear."

"B-but that's not possible," spluttered Bonnie. "That's not possible! I'm human! I'm not a _witch_!"

"Oh, honey." There were tears in Elaine's eyes. "You are, don't you see? Haven't you done things you haven't been able to explain? Haven't you always been different from your friends?"

 _~ flashback ~_

 _Squeals filled the air. Lunchtime, at last. Bonnie sat on the ground, drawing on the ground with some old chalk sticks she'd found hidden in a broom closet. Her green eyes followed her hand, transfixed by the motion and the drawing that bloomed from her simple strokes._

 _"Hey, you!" shouted a kid, running over. He had messy brown hair and was missing his two front teeth. "What are you drawing?"_

 _Bonnie looked up slowly. The boy looked mean. She pointed at the drawing of a flower that stretched out in front of her, keeping her mouth shut._

 _The boy frowned. "That's boring. Why don't you do normal stuff and play?" He laughed, probably thinking he was somehow amusing. "You're such a freak!" He trod on the chalks, snapping them all into pieces and laughing at Bonnie's horrified expression. He left her there, her eyes watering. She felt sad, but more than that furious. She looked back at her chalks, and was shocked to see that they were whole, as if nothing had ever happened. She told herself she must've imagined it, blinked, but the chalks were still there, whole. It was like magic._

 _~ end flashback ~_

"It still makes no sense," insisted Bonnie, fighting the urge to scream and shout and cry all at once. "I can't be a witch. I'm just normal old me, nothing funny, nothing magical."

"But you _are_ ," said Elaine desperately. She ran her hands through her hair, sighing. "Look, darling, I don't expect you to take it all in at once, but please. Listen to me. Take your time to understand this. And here, have this." She handed over a smart and official-looking envelope.

Bonnie took it cautiously, only opening it once she'd made her way into her room, door blocked by her desk chair. She glanced at the address.

 _Ms B Ward, The bedroom on the third floor, 19 Maple Street, Newcastle, Tyne and Wear._

Curious, Bonnie tore open the enveloped, but not before reading, _Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_. So, it was true, she must be a witch. Unless her parents wrote the letter.

Bonnie began to read the letter, letting her eyes fall down the page.

 _Dear Ms Ward,_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

 _Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Minerva McGonagall_

 _Deputy Headmistress_

Bonnie, still filled with curiosity, turned the page over and continued to read. All the items that she needed...where would she find them? You couldn't go into your local Tesco's and ask for a pewter cauldron. However, Bonnie couldn't dwell on the issue any longer, for she was exhausted from the days events, so she turned off her light and fell asleep almost instantly.


	2. Diagon Alley

Till Death Do Us Part

Chapter 2 / Diagon Alley

It was a sunny morning, mid-August, and the summer holidays still had that magical feeling even though there wasn't much of them left. Bonnie was in her room, scribbling away in her journal. She had spent the morning contemplating the issue of magic, but knew that sooner or later she ought to go downstairs and have breakfast or else her parents would worry.

And though she was annoyed with them for lying to her about who, no _what_ , she was, they were still her parents. So with a slightly reluctant heart, Bonnie made her way down.

Elaine glanced up from her toast, a kind of odd and hopeful smile on her face. "Morning, honey."

"Good morning, mum, dad," said Bonnie cheerfully. She took her breakfast quietly and kept her eyes focused on her food. She was too scared to look up.

"What are you planning on doing today?" asked Lucian from behind his book.

Bonnie paused, her spoon halfway to her mouth. She pondered this for a moment before finally replying with, "Well, I think I'll just spend some time in the woods, if that's alright."

"Of course, dear," replied Lucian fondly. "Have fun and remember: be careful. Elaine, maybe we should pack her some snacks. Will you have any friends there?"

"Um, no," admitted Bonnie quietly. She finished up, and then, once she was changed, took a bag filled with biscuits, small sandwiches and juice for later on. She knew the way to the woods almost off by heart, she'd been so many times. Her feet practically led her there.

The trees grew denser, the light falling on the soft green leaves. Bonnie's feet crossed the soil and fallen twigs, leading her further and further into the woods. She felt at home, the familiar sound of the running river nearby, the birds chirping their beautiful tunes.

She settled down on a fallen tree, and felt a pang of sadness in her heart at the thought of the life that had once lived in this tree but was now gone. She thought suddenly of what she was: a witch. Surely, then, she could help the tree? She got up, dusted off her hands and concentrated. What did she want? To see the tree upright, healthy, alive.

She stuck out her hands, thought about the tree being happy, and waited. She opened her eyes. It was unbelievable, incredible. There the tree was, standing upright, as though it had always been that way. Bonnie stared at her hands in disbelief; she really had magic. But it made no sense, because magic wasn't real. It shouldn't be possible, yet it had happened.

Bonnie packed up her things, suddenly in a more positive and lively mood, and began to make her way back home. She wasn't sure if she was more excited or scared by her newfound power, but it felt like it was something good. It made her feel important, like there was a reason for her being who she was, that she wasn't just 'that weird girl who nobody liked'. It made her feel like she was a part of something bigger, something more than just the life she knew.

OoOoO

"You've reconsidered." Terrence raised an eyebrow but allowed Bonnie to enter the mansion. Bonnie gave him a little smile and followed through to a different room, a kitchen it seemed. There were plates washing themselves, a fire that roared, potatoes being peeled without anyone there. Doreen strode in, caught sight of Bonnie, and blinked.

"Bonnie," she greeted. "How nice of you to come back after out last encounter."

"Yes, about that, I'm really very sorry," said Bonnie, a feeling of guilt hitting her. "I didn't mean to be so rude to you. It's just that it was quite hard to believe that I was, you know, a witch."

"That's quite understandable," mused Terrence, seating himself, Doreen and Bonnie following. "But it's nice to see you back here."

"I thought it would be nice to talk to you," said Bonnie. She accepted the warm drink offered to her by Doreen. "I wanted to know more about the magical world."

"Oh, really?" asked Doreen in surprise. She looked happy, though. "Well, tell us anything you'd like to know and we'll try to answer as much as we can."

Bonnie felt something stir inside her. "Alright. I'd like to know why my parents kept all this a secret from me."

"That's a good question," said Doreen, but she seemed slightly reserved. "Of course, we don't know everything about your parents, but we can assume that they just wanted to keep you safe."

Bonnie felt her face flush. "Yeah, I know that. But from what?"

A heavy silence filled the air, and it was finally broken by Terrence shuffling to boil some tea.

"You know, Bonnie, that the world isn't always good," began Terrence, fiddling around with a copper kettle, the one object that seemed out of place in the house.

"Yes," said Bonnie, thinking back to the boy who had broken her chalks and bullied her since.

"Well, some evil is very strong, and there was a man who was the worst of the worst," explained Terrence, pouring tea into china teacups. "He hurt many, his name was—"

A loud bell sounded, stopping Terrence mid-sentence. He sighed, shuffling out of the kitchen. Bonnie frowned, was that a doorbell? When the old man came back in he held a newspaper in his hands, scanning the titles. He made a disapproving sort of grunt.

"What's the news today, Terrence?" questioned Doreen.

Terrence sighed heavily. "Humphrey Underwood, head of the Auror Office, has suddenly disappeared without a trace. No warnings, nothing at all to show where he might've gone."

"Oh," muttered Doreen, shifting awkwardly in her seat. "You don't think that it's because of, you know, do you?"

"No," said Terrence, a little too quickly. He paused. "No, no, it can't be. I am most sure it isn't." At this point, he seemed to remember that Bonnie was still in the room. "Bonnie, dear, thank you ever so much for coming to us but I'm afraid that we must finish now."

"But you didn't tell me anything," said Bonnie. She felt annoyed; these people, who she'd decided to trust, were just kicking her out after a few minutes with them?

Doreen took Bonnie's hand. "I'm sorry," she said, sincerely. "But you can always come back, whenever you'd like, it's just that there is an important issue that we need to handle."

Bonnie, slightly annoyed and hurt, left, thanking Terrence and Doreen all the same since she still had her manners.

OoOoO

"Hey, darling," chirped Elaine from the sofa, where she was knitting a deep purple scarf.

"Hi, mum," said Bonnie. She tried to make her deflated tone more enthusiastic. "Thanks for the snacks, they were really nice. But I'm tired now, so I'll be heading to my room if that's all right."

"Of course darling." Her mum had already gone back to knitting away, the TV on in the background. Bonnie hesitated, her interest suddenly grasped. The news channel was on, and they were mentioning something about a disturbance in London, that there appeared to be many oddly-dressed people about. Terrorists, they assumed, but there was no solid evidence. Bonnie shivered. How creepy. Did it have anything to do with the man Terrence mentioned, Humphrey Underwood? Was this what was causing the commotion? And who were the cloaked people?

OoOoO

Bonnie knew that sooner or later she'd have to bring up the whole magic discussion, for her letter had to be sent back shortly. She waited at the top of the stairs, the letter folded neatly in her pocket. Maybe she didn't have to go, maybe she could pretend that none of it ever happened, that she imagined the tree, that she was normal and that was that.

But another part of Bonnie wanted to go, to see this new and magical world that she'd been kept hidden from for so long. With her mind set, Bonnie confronted her parents. She produced the letter, and Lucian closed his eyes momentarily.

"I want to go." Bonnie's voice sounded more frail and wobbly out loud than it did in her head.

"We figured as much," said Lucian, smiling, but not concealing his sad eyes. "In that case, I'll write your letter back, confirming it. Your mother will take you to Diagon Alley tomorrow to get your things."

"Diagon Alley?" echoed Bonnie. "Where on earth is that? I've never heard of such a strange name."

"It's in London," explained Elaine carefully. She had out her knitting aside, the TV muted. "It's where all the best magical shops are. There we'll find everything you need."

Bonnie felt a flutter of excitement in her belly: this was it! It was happening! Perhaps she'd finally fit in somewhere, perhaps she'd make beautiful and powerful magic.

"Thank you, mum," gushed Bonnie, who felt as though she couldn't be happier. "And dad. Thank you both so much. I can't wait."

OoOoO

The following day was a day filled with excitement for Bonnie. She had woken up very early, too nervous and anxious to sleep properly. When her mum was up and ready, they headed off to the train station, where they took a train down to London.

The bustling city felt alive and intriguing: there were people selling newspapers on street corners, business officials walking around talking on their phones, groups of friends laughing as they carted their shopping bags about, mums taking care of their little children.

"Wow," said Bonnie in awe and wonder. She tried to take it all in as much as possible, before being dragged down a shopping street by her mum. They entered a dimly-lit pub. Bonnie wanted to stop. It looked menacing. But she followed her mum anyway, and they found themselves amidst a group of people, dressed in strange clothes and drinking from silver goblets. It felt so...magical.

"Mum, where are we?" whispered Bonnie, not wanting to draw any attention to herself.

Elaine took her daughter's hand. "The Leaky Cauldron. It's a wizard pub. No, we're not drinking anything, but this is how we get through to Diagon Alley."

Bonnie nodded, still a little nervous, but feeling more at home in the dingy place then she ever had at school or at home. This place felt more real, like she was a part of it somehow.

"'Ey Elaine!" a bar tender was shouting over the noise. "What is you doin' up 'ere now? Where's little Stephen, eh? 'As he gone back to 'ogwarts?"

"He's doing just fine, thank you," snapped Elaine. She held her daughter close. "Sorry, Merton, but we really have to go now." And with that, Elaine hurried out, pulling her daughter with her. They left through a back door and found themselves in a small, outdoor garden-like place. Elaine pulled out a long, thin stick, that Bonnie was surprised to realize must be a wand. Elaine tapped the bricks on a brick wall, creating a pattern. Suddenly, the bricks began to tremble and turn, folding out until there was a large gaping hole, big enough to walk through.

And there, through it, was a busy street filled with the most unusual shops Bonnie had ever seen. Hairdressers with flying golden scissors, magically styling hair in seconds; pet shops filled with fluffy owls and slimy toads; shops filled with odd sweets, thousands and thousands stacked on top of each other; clothes shops where people were being measured by enchanted tapes.

"It's incredible," whispered Bonnie, her eyes trying to look at everything all in one go.

"Right, do you have your list?" asked Elaine, getting straight to the point.

Bonnie nodded, handing over the sheet. Her mum looked over it, made a few notes, then slipped it into her bag for safe keeping.

"First off, I'll go get your books if you can go and get your robes sorted. Here's your money." Elaine handed over some coins to Bonnie, who held the unknown currency delicately in her palms. The two split up, and Bonnie found herself in a robe shop, where a woman came up to her, all eager eyes and wild hair, and told Bonnie to stand there, yes, maybe a little left, and then went to fetch some basic black robes. Bonnie waited patiently, examining the shop.

"It's nice, isn't it?" A girl peeked out from her hood, who Bonnie hadn't noticed, and grinned. Her bright pink hair was stuck out at funny angles because of the cloak.

"Yeah, it's incredible," replied Bonnie. "I'm Bonnie, who are you?"

"Ellen," replied the girl, sticking out her hand. Bonnie shook it, and then the girls lapsed into a silence. "Anyway," continued Ellen, "I am so excited to go to Hogwarts, aren't you? I've dreamt of this moment for years...sure, my mum wasn't too happy, what with being a Muggle and all, but my dad thought it was great! He's trying to convince mum it's a good thing, but she just doesn't listen sometimes, you know?"

Bonnie nodded along as Ellen rambled on, only mildly aware that tape measures were flying around her, nudging her when she had to move. Once she was done, she said goodbye to Ellen, and met her mum outside the shop. They continued to find everything on the list, until all that was left was to find a pet and her wand.

As soon as they entered the pet store, their ears were met with squeaking, meowing and squealing children. At once Bonnie was drawn to the cats in the farthest corner. In the very back was a small, black cat with intense emerald green eyes, much like Bonnie's. She pointed at it, and her mum nodded.

They came across a brightly painted shop, inside which were thousands of stacks of long and slender boxes. When they opened the door a chime sounded, alerting the bright-eyed man behind the counter.

"Hello!" he said happily. "I'm Ollivander. More precisely, Ollivander JR, and welcome to my wand shop! How may I help you?"

"I'm looking for a wand," explained Bonnie, whose eyes were still examining the shop.

"Oh yes, of course." The man scurried away, and then reappeared a few moments later with a dozen or so wands in his arms. "Here, try this, thirteen inches, willow wood, unicorn hair core."

Bonnie, feeling a little silly, swished the wand. Nothing happened.

"Okay," murmured Ollivander. "Here, try this. Cherry wood, eleven and a half inches, Phoenix feather core." Bonnie took this one, swished it and a blinding light flashed from it, knocking a few things over.

"It is, that's the one!" cried Ollivander in excitement. "Such a rare choice, that is. No doubt you are a very talented and special young girl."

Elaine paid for the wand, and Bonnie held it in her hands. It felt strange, the fact that she didn't choose the wand but it seemed more that the wand chose her.

On the way back home, Bonnie held the cat in her arms, staring at her with loving eyes. Suddenly she looked up, distracting her mum from the book she was reading.

"I have to name her," said Bonnie slowly.

Elaine nodded. "Yes, that would be a good idea. Do you have any ideas?"

Bonnie thought it over. What should she name her cat? Something that was interesting, obviously, but maybe unusual. Or elegant. The cat's green eyes stared up at Bonnie, almost tauntingly, as if to say, _well, aren't you going to help me out here? I could use a name right about now._

"I know!" exclaimed Bonnie. Elaine raised an eyebrow. "Artemis. She'll be called Artemis."

Artemis meowed softly, burrowing her face into Bonnie's chest. Bonnie smiled; the name was perfect. It was the right name, she knew it. Artemis. They would make an excellent team.


	3. The Sorting Ceremony

Till Death Do Us Part

Chapter 3 / The Sorting Ceremony 

**A/N: Hello everyone! Another chapter, finally! I've been meaning to update for ages but school leaves me no time at all to anything anymore. Oh well, I really hope you enjoy this next installment of TDDUP, and thank you to all those who review, it warms my heart :)**

Many days had passed and at last it was time to leave for Hogwarts. Bonnie was bubbling with nerves and excitement: she still was unsure if it was all real. But ever since she'd asked her parents, she'd noticed there was magic being used around the house. Like last night, when the dishes washed themselves, or when the food was prepared in ten minutes.

Bonnie had all her books, robes, and other equipment packed up into an old suitcase, Artemis in her arms. She trudged downstairs with her things, grinning at her parents.

"You all packed?" asked Lucian. He had dressed up more than usual for the occasion, wearing his best suit and tie with his briefcase tucked by his side. "We need to start leaving now if we don't want to be late."

"Yeah," responded Bonnie. "I've got everything. Oh, this is so wonderful!" She eagerly followed her parents to the car, bouncing in her seat the whole way. It was a long drive, around five hours, so they made sure to stop for a toilet break when needed. They'd had to leave very early, but it was worth it because finally Bonnie was going somewhere where she belonged.

Once at King's Cross Station, Bonnie, with her dad's help, loaded all her things on a cart and began to make their way to Platform 9 3/4. Bonnie stopped. There was no Platform 9 3/4. Only 9 and 10. How were they going to get onto the Hogwarts Express now?

"I know what you're thinking," said Elaine with a twinkle in her eye. "But it's simple, really. See that wall, that one there? Yes, well, you must run straight towards it."

"What?" Bonnie's eyes widened; this _had_ to be a trick.

"It's easy. I'll go first with your cart," offered Lucian. He took the cart, prepared himself, then ran straight at the wall! Bonnie was sure he was going to make a fool of himself, but it turned out that he had, indeed, disappeared.

"Where did he go?" asked Bonnie, looking to her mum for some kind of explanation.

"Just do what he did and you'll find out," explained Elaine, and she said no more, only waited for Bonnie to go through. So, the young girl took a breath and ran at the wall, sure she'd hurt herself. But then, much to her surprise, she ended up on a platform, a majestic black and crimson steam engine, puffing thick smoke up into the air. Lucian was already unloading her items, so Bonnie went to join him. She got her things ready.

"Thank you, mum, dad," said Bonnie. She wiped her eyes. "I suppose I'll see you at Christmas, then."

"Yes, yes," sniffed Elaine. She blew her nose loudly, causing her daughter to cringe. "Anyway dear, don't forget to write us. We'll write you and then you can send a letter back with our owl."

"Okay." Bonnie jumped when a loud whistle broke the chattering crowd. "I have to go now, but I'll see you soon. I love you both so much." Bonnie hugged her parents tightly, then made her way onto the train, heaving her things into a compartment.

"Here, let me help." A boy ran over, taking her case and hoisting it onto the overhead luggage rack.

"T-thank you," said Bonnie.

The boy smiled at her. "No problem. My name's Joshua Clarke. I'm a prefect. Anyway, if you ever need anything, the other prefects and I are in a separate carriage at the front. We'll always be available to help because, you know, that's kind of what we do."

Bonnie smiled back. "Thank you very much, Joshua. My name's Bonnie, and this is my first time going to Hogwarts."

"Well, I'm sure you'll love it," responded Joshua, winking. "I must be off now, but have a great journey." He left her, waving as he made his way down the train, skirting around students. Once he disappeared from sight, Bonnie sat down with a sigh, Artemis falling asleep as she curled up in her lap. Bonnie had heard that the ride was quite long, and the thought alone tired her. But she was still excited, and that kept her enthusiastic for the time being.

"Hey, Bonnie!" Someone flew into the compartment, case in hand. "It's me, Ellen! What a coincidence!" The train let out a final whistle and they lurched forward, the steam engine picking up momentum.

"It's nice to see you again," said Bonnie politely, stretching out her hand, which Ellen shook. "This is quite a new experience for me. You too, right?"

"Oh yes," gushed Ellen, sitting across from Bonnie and leaving her case on the floor. "You know, I have a sister, two years older than me. She's a Hufflepuff, because she is _incredibly_ nice. I hope I get put there, too. Hufflepuffs are some of the nicest people ever."

"What's a Hufflepuff?" asked Bonnie nervously. It felt like a silly thing to ask, she felt like she ought to know what it was, but she had no idea at all.

Ellen gasped. "What do you mean 'what's a Hufflepuff'? Don't you know about the Hogwarts houses?"

"Um, n-no," stammered Bonnie, feeling like a complete fool.

Ellen rolled her eyes. "Muggle-born, I guess. Most of them don't know about any of this, no offense or anything. I don't discriminate at all, all I'm saying is most Muggle-borns only learn about Hogwarts when they get their letter. Anyway, Hogwarts has four houses: Hufflepuff for the kind, Gryffindor for the brave, Ravenclaw for the wise, and Slytherin for the ambitious."

Bonnie nodded, letting the information sink in. "So you want to be a Hufflepuff."

"Yeah," giggled Ellen, watching as the scenery around them changed from tall skyscrapers to open country. "What about you? Do you have any idea which house you'd like to be in?"

"I honestly don't know," admitted Bonnie. And it was the truth. She had only _just_ learnt about the different houses, there wasn't a chance she would know where she wanted to be.

Their compartment door slid open and a tall girl with crazy brunette curls popped her head in. She was frowning, but let out a small smile when she saw the other girls.

"Hey," said the girl, waving at them. "My name's Mia Levski. Who are you?"

"Ellen," said Ellen. She pointed her thumb at Bonnie. "And that's Bonnie. Are you a first year, too? You're awfully tall."

"I know," sighed Mia, flinging her case into the luggage rack, noticing Ellen's and doing the same for hers. "My mum and dad are both tall so it runs in the family. But yes, I'm a first year."

"Oh, isn't this wonderful?" Ellen laughed, bouncing on her seat. "I just can't wait another moment. You know, I have an older sister, and she says Hogwarts is far better than anything in the Muggle world."

"Yes, my brother said so too," agreed Mia. She pointed out the window, grinning from ear to ear. "Look, it's getting dark! That must mean we're nearly there."

"We should change into our robes," suggested Ellen. Bonnie and Mia agreed, so the girls changed into their Hogwarts uniform. Bonnie instantly loved it. She loved how the black silky cloak rested perfectly on her shoulders. No school uniform she had ever tried came close to Hogwarts robes.

The steam engine began to slow down, rumbling and groaning until coming to a firm halt. They heard someone out in the corridor shouting, "First years this way, follow the prefects please!" Mia, Bonnie and Ellen hurried out of their compartment, following a stout girl with a tight bun, who kept hissing, "Hurry up, now, come on. We can't keep them waiting."

Bonnie's heart rate picked up. "Our cases, we forgot our cases."

"No need to worry," the girl with the tight bun said firmly. "They've been transported."

Bonnie widened her eyes. Magic was _everywhere_. Ellen shrieked as they came up to a big, inky lake, a few wooden boats bobbing by the shore.

"Alright first yers, get yerselves in the boats and you'll be taken up ter Hogwarts," a huge, burly man boomed. He was about as wide as he was tall, and tall he was indeed, for he appeared to give the girls an impression of a giant. He wore a large coat, his bushy beard tucked into it.

"Come on now, chop chop," ordered the bun girl. Ellen, Bonnie and Mia got into a boat with another first year and watched in awe as the boats rowed by themselves, inching towards the castle. And what a castle it was. Great and imposing, it took its place on a hill, looming up above them. It had majestic towers that reached up into the night sky and illuminated windows that sparkled like stars.

 **OoOoO**

Once they arrived at the castle, they followed a strict and very old lady up some stairs, and then some more, until they arrived in what appeared to be the entrance hall. They stopped before a set of large doors, and the gray-haired woman turned to them.

"First years," said the woman. "My name is Professor McGonagall, and I welcome you all to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Here you will learn the magic that each of you has inside and how to harness it and use it properly. So if you'll all please follow me we shall enter the Great Hall together. Alright, ready? Good." She swished her hand in the air and the doors opened, revealing the greatest sight Bonnie had ever seen.

Four long tables occupied the main part of the room, hundreds of students at each one. The tables were laid with gold plates, cutlery and goblets, all glittering under the light that came from the floating candles. At the far end of the room, on a raised platform, was another table, where, what Bonnie assumed were the professors, sat.

The first years shuffled along behind McGonagall, all conscious of the stares from the other students. They stopped, making a long line. McGonagall walked up to the raised podium and clapped her hands twice for silence. The room instantly became quiet.

"Good evening, students," said McGonagall. "I would like to start off by saying that I expect you all to be kind and welcoming to our new first years. And also I hope that you will behave yourselves and work hard. Remember, you can be expelled. On that note, the sorting shall begin."

Bonnie was sweating. Either her cloak was too warm, or she was nervous about the prospect of being expelled from Hogwarts. She didn't want to leave the only place she felt at home.

"Come as I call you," announced McGonagall. "Abrahams, Harriet." A small, ginger girl hesitantly made her way up, sitting on a stool as a hat was placed on her head. She sat there for a few moments before the hat yelled out, "Hufflepuff!" One of the tables exploded into applause as Harriet beamed and ran over to join them.

This process continued for a while, first years trembling as they went up the stool, then smiling as they went to join their house.

"Levski, Mia." Mia turned pale, ignoring Ellen's attempted smile of encouragement and trudging up to McGonagall. The hat was placed on her head, and after what felt like an eternity for Mia — but was in fact less than a minute — the hat shouted, "Ravenclaw!" Mia sighed with relief.

Some time later Ellen was called up, and so she bounded forward, every step confident and assured. But inside she was worried. She had to get into Hufflepuff. And the hat announced she was..."Hufflepuff!" Huge cheers erupted and Bonnie watched as Ellen ran over and hugged another girl who also had pink hair, most likely Ellen's sister.

After what felt like an eternity, Bonnie looked around to see that she was one of the few people left.

"Ward, Bonnie." Bonnie, trembling like a leaf, sat on the stool. She looked out at the sea of faces, all staring and expectant. And then they were gone, for the hat had slipped over her eyes.

"Hmmm," muttered the hat. It had a deep voice, one that felt old and important. "You are an interesting girl, Bonnie. I sense no bravery, no cunning thoughts. Now where to put you."

"Please put me somewhere," whispered Bonnie.

"Of course I will," said the hat. "You're here for a reason. You're magical. Now it's just about where you belong. Perhaps..."

"What?" asked Bonnie curiously.

"Well, I suppose it ought to be...RAVENCLAW!" Bonnie felt so relived it was like she was made up of air. All her fears suddenly left, because she did belong. She had been sorted. She joined her table, admiring how the others all had blue trimming on their robes and an embroidered crest featuring an eagle on front.

"Bonnie!" exclaimed Mia. She sat herself next to her friend, grinning. "It's this splendid? Shame Ellen got sorted into Hufflepuff, otherwise we all would've been together."

Bonnie nodded, but when she looked over and saw how happy Ellen was with the Hufflepuffs, how well she belonged with them, Bonnie felt a strong happiness.

"Ahem." An old woman with graying hair and big eyes stepped forward. "I am so glad to see so many happy faces among us. I am sure that you will all find it quite delightful here. I am Headmistress Withertop, and it is my utmost pleasure to begin another year with you all."

There was lots of cheering, mainly from the house with the red lining on their robes, which Bonnie had forgotten the name of.

"But I shall stop now," continued headmistress Withertop. "Enjoy the feast!"

The platters before them that had once been empty now proudly served roast meats, golden crispy potatoes, juicy carrots, and many more different vegetables.

"Oh, man," muttered Mia, her eyes lighting up. "This looks delicious!" They dug in, piling their plates high with food, desperate to try some of everything there was.

"Bonnie!" The young girl turned at the sound of her name and saw Joshua waving at her from a few seats down. "I had a feeling you'd be in Ravenclaw."

"Hi, Joshua," replied Bonnie. "I didn't realize you were in this house as well."

"I am." Joshua smiled. "I hope you enjoy every moment here." He turned away, laughing at something one of his friends said and gesturing wildly with his hands.

"Who's he?" asked Mia through a mouthful of potato and chicken.

"A prefect," explained Bonnie. "I met him on the train. He helped me with my case."

 **OoOoO**

At last it was time for sleep, and with a few final words from the headmistress — namely: be careful of the moving stairs, no wandering around at night, and so forth — the students followed their prefects to their dormitories. The Ravenclaw happened to be located in a tower. When they arrived, a suit of armor came alive and turned to them, asking, "You are in a car. You can only have one other person in there with you: an elderly woman who requires medical attention, your life-long best friend, or your soulmate. Who do you take with you?"

A burly boy with messy hair and a toothy smile took a step forward and answered, as if it was the most simplest thing in the world, with, "I would let my best friend drive the elderly woman to a hospital and wait for the next bus with my soulmate." The boy glanced at Bonnie and Mia. "New security system, this is. They installed it last year after the common room was invaded by rowdy Gryffindors."

The suit of armor returned to being immobile, and allowed them to pass through a portrait into a cosy common room, the walls lined with shelves upon shelves of books.

"Listen up everyone," said the burly boy. "You'll go to your dormitories now and have a prompt wake up at seven. Girls up to the left and boys up to the right. No boys in the girls dormitories, no girls in the boys dormitories. Am I clear? Good, now off to bed you lot."

Mia and Bonnie made their way with the rest of the girls up to their rooms, which Bonnie paid barely any attention to as she changed into her pajamas and curled up on her bed.

"Today was the best day of my whole life," whispered Bonnie.

"Me too." Mia yawned.

"I was thinking—Mia, are you awake?" No response. "Goodnight, Mia." And with that, Bonnie closed her eyes and fell right asleep.


End file.
